Golden World
by Eternity1
Summary: Max reflects one night on her lover and how he has changed her.


Author: Eternity  
Title: Golden World  
Rating : PG-13  
Summary: Max reflects one night on her lover and how he has changed her.  
Spoilers: None  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in the story, they belong to Fox, or someone with a lot more money than me.  
  
  
  
She could hear the sounds of the street outside her window, outside in the world where everything was complicated, detailed and harried. People yelling, car horns beeping, perhaps a gunshot in the distance. Chaos, and coldness was what existed out there, but that was there and inside her room, their room it was so much simpler. Inside her world...there was only him, the even sounds of his breathing, the smell of him in the air, his head lying gently on the pillow.   
  
She reached out and brushed her finger along the side of his face, marveling at his beauty. She didn't think she had ever seen someone so handsome, his hair was tousled and his cheeks were warm with sleep. These nights were the only time he relaxed she knew, the only time when his intense eyes were closed with ease when his strong jaw relaxed and his body rested in peace.   
  
She marveled at it sometimes, the way his love had changed her. A year ago she would have laughed in the face of anyone who would have dared predict this, maybe even punched them. There was something about loving him though, maybe it softened her who knows. What she did know though was that it brought peace to her soul when she lay like this with him, living only in his presence, forgetting that the broken world outside even existed. Lydecker would be horrified she thought, utterly disgusted at such a display of emotion and love, daring to relax like this. Lydecker's not here though, she told herself, he was far away, he was in that world outside she reminded herself and immediately shuffled him to the back of her mind where she stored the rest of what should be dealt with in the cold light of day.  
  
"Max," he murmured and a strong arm reached out to pull her closer. She slid willingly across the covers into his warm embrace, placing her arms around his as though they had always belonged there. She relaxed into his body, knowing that just as this was the only place he found peace, so it was for her as well. She threw a leg over his hips, binding him even close to her as if she were afraid he would leave perhaps that small fear would always live in her, fear of being abandoned and forgotten. When he murmured her name again and his warm breath drifted across her neck though she thought that perhaps in time she would forget.  
  
He kissed her neck gently, and chased away the demons of her thoughts as he always did. His kisses must be magic she mused, lighting up the deepest corners of her soul, taking her fears and assuaging them one by one. He understood demons, possessing so many of his own and trusting her to chase his away as he did hers. They had grown so much together, learned so much. Learning that all the hurts of the past, all the pain and tears were so much easier to deal with when they were shared. Sorrows split and joy doubled, wasn't there a saying like that somewhere? If there was it certainly applied to them in any case.   
  
"I love you," she whispered to him gently, and was awed by the easy way it came out, and the sincerity of the tone with which it was said.  
  
"I love you," he repeated back and she saw that his eyes were open and watching her, hard eyes that were only soft in this world, in this room.  
  
"I thought you were sleeping," she murmured.  
  
"Who needs sleep?" He asked with a smile, though his words were serious, and true. Lovers didn't need sleep, they would live on each other.  
  
"You do," she said, her words conflicting with her thoughts, practicality winning for a moment. "You need your rest."  
  
"I can get rest later," he said, trailing a finger along profile as though taking every curve and hollow deep inside of him.  
  
"You won't though, and I'll worry about you," she argued without any real anger to back the pseudo-fight. Soon morning would be there and their wonderful world would be left, she had to make sure he was ready for it.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself you know," he told her, his hand making lazy circles on her back.  
  
"I know...but I want to make sure," was her reply. Who would have thought, Max the bad-ass warrior being such a caregiver. "You won't let anyone else take care of you."  
  
He said nothing, just held her and they both tried to forget that morning would soon be here, pulling him from her bed, from her arms. The day was the enemy of lovers, looked upon by many as the beginning of something wonderful, to them though it was the end of something perfect.   
  
"I'll be back here soon," he said finally, his voice husky with longing, and she knew it was for the need to live in this golden world every night, responsibility be damned. I'll be back soon, he said and she feared that his words would be false, that he would never come back. That she would never again feel the wonderful heady kisses he gave only to her, the compassionate loving side he showed only to her.  
  
"Don't think about it," he whispered, knowing her thoughts as her mind was producing them, perhaps he shared them, or perhaps he just knew her so well.  
  
"Sleep," he told her, and his eyes closed gently lashes resting on his cheeks. She followed suit, and sank into him allowing herself the little rest that she needed, and wanting to savor these nights that came few and far between.  
  
Her fingers brushed against the back of his neck, caressing the soft area she knew was marked with dark black lines, as hers was, a reminder that they were unique, they were different. They were soldiers, warriors, and yet these scarce nights...they were simply lovers, people finding some of the beauty that was so scarce in a world full of false lies and hate.   
  
"Goodnight Max," he whispered, her name on his lips like some beautiful song.  
  
"Goodnight Zach," she responded before the sandman claimed her into the world of dreams. 


End file.
